The Executive Branch

Federalism
Enumerated Powers to Concurrent Reserved powers for
national Powers to state governments:
government: national and
1. Establish schools
state
1. Coin money
governments: 2. Marriage/divorce
2. Regulate interstate laws
1. Raise taxes
and foreign trade
3. Regulate trade
2. Borrow money
3. Armed forces within the state
(declaring war) 3. Provide for
All powers not
public welfare
4. Creation of federal specifically granted
courts 4. Administer to the federal govt
criminal justice are reserved for the
states
The Legislative Branch
Congress
House of Representatives Senate
 435 members  100 members
 Represent portions of  Two from each state
the state  Represent the whole
 Apportionment state
– No state can gain rep
unless one loses one
 Speaker of the House =
Elected by other
members
House of Representatives
 25+ years old
 US Citizen for 7 years
 Resident of the state
 Serve 2 year terms
 Can be elected unlimited times
Senate
 30+ years old
 US citizen for 9 years
 Resident of the state
 Serve 6 year terms
– Terms are staggered so seats are up for election
every 2 years
 Can be elected unlimited times
What can Congress do
 Make nation’s laws
 Control federal spending
 Ratifies treaties
 Confirm presidential appointments
 Can override veto
 Monitors Executive Branch
 House of Reps can impeach
– Senate acts as court
The Judicial Branch
Judicial Branch
 District Courts
– Lowest level of federal court system
– Criminal and civil cases
– 91 districts courts (1 in every state)
 Appellate Courts (appeal courts)
– Losing side of district court hearing can appeal
– 14 appeals courts in US
 The Supreme Court
– Final authority in the federal court system
– Most of Supreme Court cases are from appeals of lower
courts
– Only cases involving foreign ambassadors or disputes
between states can begin in Supreme Court
Supreme Court
 9 total Judges
 Appointed for life = retires or passes away
 Not influenced by political parties
 No requirements = although every judge has
been attorney
What can Judicial Branch do
 Not described in much detail in Constitution
 Declare acts unconstitutional
 Declare executive actions unconstitutional
 Judicial review = gives Supreme Court the
ultimate authority to interpret the meaning of
constitutional provisions. Explain how words
of Constitution apply today
The Executive Branch
Who is in the Executive Branch?
 President
 Vice President
 Cabinet Members
– Department Secretaries
The President
 35+ years old
 Born in The United States
 U.S. resident for at least 14 years
 Americans vote every four years for President and
Vice President
 2 term limit
 VP takes over for President
– Dies
– Impeached
– Resigns
What a President can do
 Veto laws
 Executive orders
– Command that has power of law
 Pardons
– Freedom from punishment
 Arranging treaties
 Foreign relations
 Chooses department heads (Cabinet members)
– Congress must approve
Lyndon B. Johnson Quote
“What a President says and thinks is not worth
five cents unless he has the people and
Congress behind him. Without the Congress
I’m just a six-foot-four Texan. With Congress
I’m President of the United States in the
fullest sense.”
What does Lyndon B. Johnson mean by this
quote?